lets talk carbon

[kidkaos520]

So I have been thinking about adding some carbon to my system to keep phosphates down and clear up the tank a bit. Was debating on adding a small reactor to the system but didn't want to add more equipment if I didn't have to. Was going to go the chemipure route but that could get expensive after a while. Then was reading that some people have used Rox 0.8 in a media bag and tossed it in a high flow area in the sump. On that same note I read that Rox works a little to well and cleared the tank so well that all corals died because of lack of nutrients and light shock. So would love to hear from anyone who has 2 cents to spare on their experience or thoughts.

 

[bambam918]

I purchased the ROX and used less than recommended and my corals suffered. Took it offline and everything looks better. I don't think I need it but in some cases it has it uses. I would use GFO if anything. Chemipure is good but like you said it can get expensive quick

 

[kidkaos520]

when you say suffered was it because it worked to well?

 

[kidkaos520]

Haven't researched GFO so I shall do that shortly.

 

[tcamos]

Carbon has its uses. I have a tank that's heavy in paly and zoos so carbon helps absorb the toxins they create in the system. All corals do this to one degree or the other and carbon helps with that. It also clears the water up, gets rid of the yellow, this can be a blessing and a curse. If corals aren't ready for the extra light clear water allows they can retract or worse bleach.

For me carbon is more of something you use when you need to. Not every tank needs it. Same with GFO, not every tank needs it. If you don't need it then it's really just money poorly spent. And as you point out under certain circumstances it can cause more issues than it fixes.

I have a duel reactor that I load up when I feel I need it and use BRS's carbon and GFO in it. It's nice to have around but I don't run it on a consistent basis.

Does that help at all?

 

[kidkaos520]

Yes that does help....I don't think I need it to much at this point tank was loaded up with coral two weeks ago and is going to have quite a bit of zoas and palys (that's the plan anyway) and lps. I figured I would do my research now before its to late. I might even start out with a bad or two of chemipure until I figure out what I truly need.

 

[coralreefjunkie]

Since you are in the researching stage, I would like to share with you my first mistakes and the lessons I learned.

1) If you do decide to go with both carbon (removal of medications, toxins & yellow appearance) and GFO (removal of phosphates), I would recommend NOT having them in the same reactor. Carbon granules exhaust their absorbent capability very quickly (within days, depending on the amount of organics present). GFO granules last much longer (up to months).

2) Make sure you have the appropriate flow. We need to have decent flow to create the "tumble" effect with GFO to avoid channeling. However, avoid too strong of a flow, as too much agitation causes the GFO to release "orange" dust that will adhere to everything in your tank. The flow for the carbon should be less, as agitation can cause carbon granules to "chip" off and get into the display tank. Also, shake the container/bag every few days to avoid channeling.

Disclaimer: I am not an expert; I would just like to share with you what worked/didn't work for me.

 

[bambam918]

Yes. I think it worked too well. Tcamos put it well. I will use again if needed but will pay close attention to my corals

 

[TX-BJ]

I keep a 3x8 bag of Rox carbon (replaced monthly) & a slightly less filled bag of GFO or Phosban which I alternate & replace about every 3 months unless my phos. increases in my sump in the narrow baffle before my return section with a piece of the bonded filter pad over it to catch debris. I change the pad every 4-7 days. My tank is 58G & my sump is 24G. I've done this for years & my water parameters stay pretty good. I really don't have room for reactors, so this works for me. I test every 4-6 weeks. Also I tend to overfeed or I should say my grandkids tend to overfeed, they all want to feed the fish when they're here.

 

[kidkaos520]

So I am thinking if I buy carbon in bulk and use it just like I would a chemi-pure bag it should work just the same right? Then I would only have to get one reactor for gfo to save some space. Any thoughts

 

[tcamos]

I don't like bags. Carbon and GFO work on surface area. The more surface area that hits water the better. Putting it in bags means the media in the middle is either useless or at best far less effective. Reactors work by roiling the media allowing water to get all around them which maximizes the surface area and thus the efficiency.

For me a duel media reactor or two reactors is the best way to go.

 

[kidkaos520]

Can anyone suggest a reactor that's low profile inexpensive and comes with the pump and tubing?

 

[tcamos]

BRS has several good reactors. I've always found the PhosBan reactors to be low profile as they can go into the water or hang on. But they don't come with pumps and minimal tubing, usually enough.

 

[TX-BJ]

I think it was BRS where I saw the small nano reactors for tanks up to 50 G. I'm considering 2 for my grandsons frag tank. & maybe both my 58G tanks if they work well. I'll probably buy one to try out on my next BRS order.
I also want to mention what worked for me in larger tanks doesn't always work in the smaller tanks I have now. I find I need to be more creative with my smaller tanks.

 

[kidkaos520]

I am looking at those now but not sure if it will be enough to handle the tank

 

[kidkaos520]

So I decided I am going to take a chance using a mesh filter sock and some rox (minimal) and throw it in the sump to see what it does and if I do not see a difference I will just buy a reactor since I already have the media.